Route 66:
California’s Route 66 is probably the most written about roadway in the
country. Filled with folklore, legends and tales of adventure, Route 66
is well known by the name Mother Road thanks to John Steinbeck’s
reference to it in his book “The Grapes of Wrath”. It was the perfect
manifestation of a nation on the move in the first half of the 20th
century. So much so that in California you’ll find a very active Route
66 Preservation Foundation. This Main Street of America was commissioned
in 1926, the year U. S. numbered highways came into existence. It was
comprised of a collection of two-lane concrete or asphalt paved roads
extending from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California. It runs
through the states of Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New
Mexico, Arizona, and California. Route 66 was deactivated in 1984 and
the U. S. 66 highway shields taken down, after being replaced by
Interstates 40 and 15 that follows essentially the same path (give or
take a few miles north or south of the original).
California’s portion of Route 66 is probably the most historic portion;
it is definitely the most heavily promoted by historic preservation
societies and other groups who share the common cause of keeping essence
of Route 66 alive. Route 66, and subsequently I-40, runs from Needles,
California at the Arizona border in the Mohave Desert to Barstow,
California where I-40 terminates. It then again follows its old
territory under the guise of Interstate 15 all the way to Santa Monica.
There are many maps and guides on the internet and in printed form that
will take you on and off the two interstates to visit the original
pathway of Route 66 and the many Motels, Café’s and other colorful local
landmarks that dotted its path. Many destinations are restored and will
whisk you away on a journey back in time, while other spots have become
just so much blight. But no matter what shape you find, the remnants of
history and Americana will romance you.
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